would take her gang affiliation. The last thing Brenda wanted was to hurt her family in California.
Moving from the basics, Greg delved into more important questions concerning her past and possible gang connections.
“Look,” Brenda began, “I’m not gang-involved.” She was tough and unrelenting.
Brenda dodged most of the other questions. Greg focused on her uncle in Texas. One way or another, Greg thought, this girl’s going back to Texas.
For the moment, Brenda’s story was believable. Greg did not know she had been arrested with Denis Rivera. Nor did he see her gang tattoos. Feeling that he’d covered everything, Greg made his exit. Just as he stepped out of his interview with Brenda, Greg ran into the youth probation officer assigned to Brenda’s case. She was a short Latina woman who was very pushy and direct, likable but not one to sugar-coat anything. The officer had spoken with Brenda before Greg arrived. She took the opportunity now to share her findings with Greg.
“Did she tell you she’s with MS?” she asked.
“What?” Greg was shocked, instantly realizing his slam-dunk legal guardian case had just become a little more complicated. He was a young lawyer, just turned thirty, but he’d been around long enough to know that the MS was one of the nastiest street gangs in the country. News of a near decapitation on Daingerfield Island just south of Reagan National Airport had made the Mara Salvatrucha a familiar name in Virginia’s law enforcement community. A number of violent crimes associated with the MS crossed his desk monthly.
The officer repeated herself. “Did she tell you she was with MS?”
“No,” Greg replied, his mental wheels spinning, thinking about how he would get out of this case and recalling everything he knew about the gang.
“She’s got a bunch of warrants. They’re coming in right now,” the officer told him matter-of-factly, almost as if she enjoyed watching the big man squirm.
“Oh, fuck . Okay,” Greg said, his mind racing. He’d better think quickly about his next move.
CHAPTER 18
I n the span of minutes, Greg’s case went from boring to exciting, from simple to a considerable challenge, possibly even life-threatening. Greg felt like he was in over his head. He had practiced criminal defense for just over eight months, hardly the expert counsel Brenda needed.
As he stood in the hall and turned the possibilities of Brenda’s gang affiliation over in his mind, Greg realized he needed to talk to her again and try to get to the truth. He walked back to the holding cell where Brenda sat with the probation officer for another chat. Greg started firing away as soon as he walked in the door.
“Look, you can play it straight with me or not,” he started. “I don’t really care. But it’s a lot easier for me to do this thing, to help you, if I know what’s going on. Tell me what’s going on,” Greg said, looking down at Brenda, trying to read her.
Brenda still didn’t say much, so the probation officer helped her out.
“She’s Denis Rivera’s girlfriend,” the officer said, pushing Brenda to speak. The officer turned to Brenda and offered her a bit of advice. “Don’t bullshit him, honey.”
Before Brenda could react, the officer reached forward and pushed Brenda’s T-shirt low enough on her chest to reveal a large M tattooed above Brenda’s right breast and an S tattooed above the left. Greg was now convinced. Brenda was definitely MS.
“This is going to be a fun case,” Greg said with biting sarcasm. “I’ll see you in court in the morning,” he told Brenda before turning on his heel and walking back to the judge’s chambers.
On the way, Greg bumped into an Arlington County detective who was eager to speak to Brenda. In Grand Prairie, Detective Rick Oseguera had put out a national alert on Brenda Paz and the capital arrest warrant waiting for her in Texas. The detective had seen the bulletin on Brenda Paz, and when he had heard
Moving from the basics, Greg delved into more important questions concerning her past and possible gang connections.
“Look,” Brenda began, “I’m not gang-involved.” She was tough and unrelenting.
Brenda dodged most of the other questions. Greg focused on her uncle in Texas. One way or another, Greg thought, this girl’s going back to Texas.
For the moment, Brenda’s story was believable. Greg did not know she had been arrested with Denis Rivera. Nor did he see her gang tattoos. Feeling that he’d covered everything, Greg made his exit. Just as he stepped out of his interview with Brenda, Greg ran into the youth probation officer assigned to Brenda’s case. She was a short Latina woman who was very pushy and direct, likable but not one to sugar-coat anything. The officer had spoken with Brenda before Greg arrived. She took the opportunity now to share her findings with Greg.
“Did she tell you she’s with MS?” she asked.
“What?” Greg was shocked, instantly realizing his slam-dunk legal guardian case had just become a little more complicated. He was a young lawyer, just turned thirty, but he’d been around long enough to know that the MS was one of the nastiest street gangs in the country. News of a near decapitation on Daingerfield Island just south of Reagan National Airport had made the Mara Salvatrucha a familiar name in Virginia’s law enforcement community. A number of violent crimes associated with the MS crossed his desk monthly.
The officer repeated herself. “Did she tell you she was with MS?”
“No,” Greg replied, his mental wheels spinning, thinking about how he would get out of this case and recalling everything he knew about the gang.
“She’s got a bunch of warrants. They’re coming in right now,” the officer told him matter-of-factly, almost as if she enjoyed watching the big man squirm.
“Oh, fuck . Okay,” Greg said, his mind racing. He’d better think quickly about his next move.
CHAPTER 18
I n the span of minutes, Greg’s case went from boring to exciting, from simple to a considerable challenge, possibly even life-threatening. Greg felt like he was in over his head. He had practiced criminal defense for just over eight months, hardly the expert counsel Brenda needed.
As he stood in the hall and turned the possibilities of Brenda’s gang affiliation over in his mind, Greg realized he needed to talk to her again and try to get to the truth. He walked back to the holding cell where Brenda sat with the probation officer for another chat. Greg started firing away as soon as he walked in the door.
“Look, you can play it straight with me or not,” he started. “I don’t really care. But it’s a lot easier for me to do this thing, to help you, if I know what’s going on. Tell me what’s going on,” Greg said, looking down at Brenda, trying to read her.
Brenda still didn’t say much, so the probation officer helped her out.
“She’s Denis Rivera’s girlfriend,” the officer said, pushing Brenda to speak. The officer turned to Brenda and offered her a bit of advice. “Don’t bullshit him, honey.”
Before Brenda could react, the officer reached forward and pushed Brenda’s T-shirt low enough on her chest to reveal a large M tattooed above Brenda’s right breast and an S tattooed above the left. Greg was now convinced. Brenda was definitely MS.
“This is going to be a fun case,” Greg said with biting sarcasm. “I’ll see you in court in the morning,” he told Brenda before turning on his heel and walking back to the judge’s chambers.
On the way, Greg bumped into an Arlington County detective who was eager to speak to Brenda. In Grand Prairie, Detective Rick Oseguera had put out a national alert on Brenda Paz and the capital arrest warrant waiting for her in Texas. The detective had seen the bulletin on Brenda Paz, and when he had heard
Similar Books
